Tag: thoughts

For those that don’t know I love books (if you want to be part of my book club and read and review a book each month you can go here to find the latest one.) But I don’t just love reading them I love listening to them too.

When I was younger I remember getting some audiobook CD’s for christmas and listening to them as i went to sleep. I had All american girl by Meg Cabot, My secret unicorn by Linda Chapman and Fantastic Mr Fox by Roald Dahl. This love has followed me in to adulthood. I use Audible to listen to my audiobooks. (Im not sponsored but I really do love this service.) So I thought I would tell you my favourite audiobooks that I have listen too and which ones I would recommend. So lets get started.

Yes please – Amy Poehler.

If you like Amy Poehler at all I would recommend this book. This is her autobiography that is very funny and very true. She doesn’t hold back and doesn’t just give us the good things but she tells us her bad stuff but she is so honesty, true and funny about everything. I do have the book and was following along with he audiobook at point but I would recommend the audiobook as there are some stuff that in the audiobook and not in the book and because she is the one narrating the book it is very funny as she delivers the jokes that might not be as funny as if your reading it and don’t have her voice to deliver it.

Is It Just Me? – Miranda Hart

This is similar to the Amy Poehler as that it sound better because Miranda narrates it which makes the jokes land. I remember listening to this while trying to fall asleep but the jokes were so funny and the way she tells the stories and jokes were making me laugh so much that I couldn’t get to sleep. So make sure that you are in a place that you can laugh. You can relate to many of the things Miranda says in the book.

Any Harry Potter book by J K Rowling

Do I need to say anymore. The Harry Potter books are amazing but read by Stephen Fry there even better. That mans voice is amazing and really brings the books to life. If you are on the Audible subscription (there are ties Im on the cheapest on at £7.99) you get a credit a month. One credit equals one book so you could spend you credit on a Harry Potter book (which coast around £30) so you can save a lot of money on the books.

An Abundance of Katherines by John Green.

This a great book by none other then John Green. This is a young adult book about finding yourself like many other of John Greens books. I did love the characters in this book and the story over all and if you like John Green books and haven’t listen/ read this book you defiantly should. The narrator Jeff Woodman tells the story brilliantly.

On the other side by Carrie Hope Fletcher

I have talked about this book in my very first book club which you can find here. I got the audiobook because I loved the book so much that I wanted to listen to it while relaxing and falling asleep. Carrie Hope Fletcher reads this book and you can just tell how much she loves this book. She narrates this book beautifully. I will defiantly be listening to this book again.

So there my top picks for audiobooks. If you have read or listened to any of these let me know what you thought about them in the comments. If you want to see more of me you can follow me on twitter @NicklessEllie and on Instagram @ellienickless (the buttons are on the side.) You can also follow the blog to get notified when I post next.

There is one version of my story that everyone knows. And then there is the truth. Once I loved a boy called Peter Pan.

Peter brought me to his island because there were no rules and no grownups to make us mind. He brought boys from the other place to join in the fun, but Peter’s idea of fun is sharper than a pirate’s sword. He wants always to be that shining sun that we all revolve around. He’ll do anything to be that sun. Peter promised we would all be young and happy forever. Peter will say I’m a villain, that i wronged him, that I never was his friend.

Peter lies.

My thoughts:

When I brought this book the cashier told me he had just finished this book and it was incredible. He was not wrong.

This is an amazing story about Peter Pan long before Wendy, John and Michael. This story is from the point of view from a lost boy called Jamie. He is not only a lost boy but he was the very first lost boy and Peter’s right hand man. So this gives us a very unique view in to Peter Pan and his life.

This is a very dark retailing so if your looking for the magic, wonder and love that the Disney film brought you, its not here. There is still magic but there are dark secrets and very real fights. But this just adds to the great story.

I fell in love with the main character Jamie and the care he shows for the other lost boys but also because of his strength and leadership he shows to make sure everyone survives this very scary and sometimes frightening island.

There is a character in the book called Charlie who is a very young child. His relationship with Jamie will fill you with hope and a little joy in this very dark setting. But you will slow start to hate Peter in the way he not only treats this cute, innocent child but all the lost boys.

I will not spoil Jaimes back story but when we do fined out its shocking.

You will never forget this story and this version of Peter Pan.

I loved this book so much so Im going to give this book 5/5.

If you haven’t read this book PLEASE DO!

Next month I will be reading and reviewing Dream a little dream by Giovanna fletcher.

If you have any book suggestions for future book clubs let me know in the comments. If you liked this post give it and like. You can also follow the blog for when I post next.

You can follow me on twitter @NicklessEllie and on Instagram @ellienickless (or the buttons on the side.)

Hey guys welcome back to Shoctober in this part I will be reviewing Shutters which I found on Netflix. If you want to see my other parts to shocktober you can find them all in the Shoctober tab at the top of the page.

7th October- Shutters 2008 – 1 hour 25 minutes.

Directed by Masayuki Ochiai and written by Luke Dawson Shutters follows the story of a newly married couple discover disturbing, ghostly images in photographs they develop after a tragic accident. Fearing the manifestation may be connected, they investigate and learn some mysteries are better left unsolved.

Likes:

The sound affects and score are very well done. There is some points with really creepy whispering which was an amazing addition to the film.

And sadly that is it for my likes so lets go on to the dislikes.

Dislikes:

This film is so boring. Nothing really happens. The ghost doesn’t really ghost she just stands in the back ground or is there is photos. There is a grand total of two deaths in this film and even though there justified, the deaths themselves aren’t surprising or creative at all.

The backstory of the ghost girl once again is quite a boring one and I cant get over that. There is no real showdown and by then end of it we just don’t care about the characters at all. Not a single one. I just didn’t care what happened to them at all.

They tried to do Japanese horror with a manly american cast and it just doesn’t work at all. There are some many better Japanese horror films you should watch instead.

I just cant get over how boring this film is. There is just no saving this film.

Should you see it?/ Score

DO NOT SEE THIS MOVIE!!! Don’t waste your time watch a different movie instead anything would be better then this one.

I give this film a 0.5 out of 5

Thats it for todays review join me tomorrow when I will be reviewing Gerald’s game. You can follow the blog to get notified when I post next. You can also follow all my social media (buttons on the side)

Hey guys welcome back to stocktober where I will be reviewing a horror movie everyday. So todays movie is Before I wake which can be found on Netflix.

Before I wake (2016)- 1hour 37 minutes.

Directed by Mike Flanagan and written by Mike Flanagan and Jeff Howard is about a young couple that adopt an orphaned child whose dreams and nightmares manifest physically as he sleeps.

Likes:

I love the concept of this film the thought that a 8 years old dreams and nightmares come to life is quite scary. I think we all had terrifying dreams as a child and I cant imagine what would happen is they came true.

When the nice dreams happen they are beautiful. Shot really well and the colours are just stunning. The little boy Cody (played y Jacob Tremblay) is a very sweet little boy too. Sometimes the child actors can be annoying or bad but Jacob is a good actor and very sweet.

The themes that run thought the movie of lose and grief is nicely done and will make anyone think about those themes and what they would do if it was them.

Dislike:

This is a very slow movie and not in a good way. I takes a long time for anything kind of creepy to happen and when it dose its not scary. It takes 50 minutes for the adults of the film to actually see and meet the monster. Then with 17 minutes to go we final get the showdown and then it last for 2 minutes and the monster is gone. Thats it there is no great showdown or a struggle at all the try and defeat the monster. I was so let down my that.

The monster is not a scary one either. I didn’t feel uneasy or scared I just thought it looked rubbery and fake. That really took me out of it because I wasn’t in suspense because the monster was so fake to me. The expansion of the monster did make sense considering its coming from the mind of a 8 year old but that didn’t make up for the rest of the monster.

There was no expansion for why the boy has this gift and why his dreams come true. All that is said is that he has a brilliant mind. It so frustrating not knowing why any of this is happening.

Should you see it?/ Score

I don’t think this film is worth the watch its boring and frustrating and the showdown is over in seconds. However the concept is good and the themes are ones worth exploring but if you want a scary horror film or a fast paced movie then I would say skip it.

I score this 1 out of 5.

Join me tomorrow when I watch and review Shutter. You can follow the blog to get notified when I upload next. You can follow all my social media (buttons of the side) and if you have seen the movie leave a comment telling me what you thought about it.

welcome back to shocktober part two. We are on day 5 and today I watched Child’s play. If you want to read part one where I review As above so below, The void, Triangle and The funhouse Massacre you can click here.

5th October – Child’s play (1988) 1 hour and 27 minutes.

Directed by Tom Holland and written by Don Mancini Child’s play follows the story of a single mother giving her son a much sought after doll for his birthday, only to discover that it is possessed by the soul of a dead serial killer.

Likes:

I really loved this film. The concept is really quite scary to think that one of your dolls or toys might come alive but not in a fun Toy story way but in the way that it is going to kill you and your family. As a kid I was aware of the film and Chucky as a whole and just knowing what he was scared the crap out of be so much I didn’t have dolls like him at all. Now I’m an adult the though of giving my niece or nephew a doll like that is also terrifying.

The build up is such a great one it is a slow burn but it is needed and just adds the the suspense of whats going to happen or who’s going to be attacked next. The first part of the movie we don’t see Chucky talk we just see Andy (played by Alex Vincent) holding him to his ear so we don’t know if he is talking or not and that is such a smart move. We don’t see Chucky move in the first half we have POV shots where we can tell that its him but until you final see him there is just uncertainty which makes you fill intense.

When we do final see Chucky’s head move and talk even though we know there is know batteries in him it dose shock you and if you have know idea whats coming it might scare you too.

Spoiler: I loved the final showdown. Chucky just won’t stay down. Evan after being burnt he comes back, then he is shot to piece and he still comes back. This makes the whole thing more terrifying trying to figure out if he will come back or when he will come back. Its just a great final act.

Dislikes:

The only thing I have a bit of a problem is which some of Andy’s acting. He is a child in this film so you can’t expect great acting and in some scenes he was believable but in most of them they just seemed forced and fake and sometimes it can take you out of it a little but not to much.

Should you see it?/ Score

If you are expecting lots of tongue and cheek humour or lots of kills like the later films offer its not in this film. This film is just building up the characters and the plot but it is still a great film. The slow burn is great and never makes you feel bored. I would defiantly say see it.

I give this a 4.5 out of 5

So thats it for today. Join me tomorrow where I will be watching and reviewing Before I wake which you can find on Netflix. If you want to follow along with Shocktober I will leave a link to a chart with all the moves I will be watching and on which days.

If you have seen this movie leave a comment telling me what you thought. Follow the blog to get notified when I upload next. You can follow all my social media (buttons on the side) to keep up with me and the blog.

Meet Robin Wilde! You’ll make a friend for life and she’ll take you on a journey you’ll never forget …
Single mum Robin Wilde adores her six-year-old daughter and loves her job as a make up artist’s assistant. She has a wonderful best friend and an auntie who is bonkers, yes, but loves her to the moon and back.
But Robin has a secret. Behind the mask she carefully applies every day, things just feel … grey. And lonely. She struggles to fit in with the school mum crew. Online dating is totally despair-inducing, and she worries every day about raising her little girl with self-confidence, courage and joy.
What Robin longs for is someone (over the age of six) to share with – someone who’s always on her team.
After 4 years (2 months, and 15 days!) of single-mum-dom, it’s time for Robin Wilde to Change. Her. Life.
Exciting new opportunities are about to come Robin’s way … Perhaps a man, perhaps the chance of a lifetime …
What will Robin do with the possibilities she creates for herself? And what potential will she unlock if she takes the leap?

My thoughts:

When we first meet Robin she is feeling down and doesn’t think she is a good mother and hates being alone. Its a very real look at not only single mother hood but motherhood on a whole. The book touch’s on a lot of things that all of us have been though brake ups, parenthood, being alone, not fitting in and not really liking who you are.

Robin is easy to relate to and you intently feel for her and with her.

There is also a whole lot of girl power in this book. Showing that we should stick together and that everyone goes though the same things at one time or another. It also shows that no one is as perfect as it seems no matter how much they seem and that everyone has problems.

This book also shows that if you work hard you can achieve anything and that you can do anything anyone else can.

I did think that the last few chapters were a bit rushed and a bit messed up. We go Three weeks earlier and then a few days before that then we are back in the present then go back. I think it would have been much easier to tell everything as it goes.

That being said I really did love this book thats why I’m giving it a 4 out of 5.

Thanks for reading. You can follow me on all my social media (buttons on the side). You can follow the blog to get notify when I upload next. Also leave a comment on what books you would like me to read and review.

Happy October guys and welcome to my SHOCKTOBER!!!!! I will be doing a horror movie review every day for Halloween. I know that we are on the 4th but I’m going to but the first four reviews into this post then I will do one each day up to the big day. I will also but a list of all the movies I will be watching and reviewing at the end so you can watch along and review to.

So with that being said lets get started…

1st October – As above so below (2014) 1 hour and 33 minutes.

Directed by John Erick Dowdle and written by John Erick Dowdle and Drew Dowdle, As above so below takes place below the streets of Paris in the very spooky Catacombs. A team of explores venture into uncharted corridors of the Catacombs to find the philosopher’s stone however they uncover the dark secrets that live down there.

Likes:

This film is set out like a found footage movie and I though that they actually do this very well. There are multiple cameras one hand held and three on peoples heads so we get to see quite a lot of what happens because we have multiple views.

The setting is a really unique. Ive never seen a horror film set in the Catacombs before. The Catacombs are quite spooky as they are as it is filled with the remains of over 6 million people. The Catacombs intently gives you a claustrophobic feel and a really unsettled one knowing about all the remains that are down there.

Spoiler: I really loved the concept of the film. The film takes inspiration from Dante’s inferno and the seven layers of hell. The lower the explores go the lower they go into hell and each layer follows the layout of hell from Dante’s inferno.(Limbo, Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Anger, Heresy, Violence, Fraud and Treachery). Even thought it is not send out right and not all the layers are seen in the film but it is a really fun concept. For more explanation on this you can watch this video from FoundFlix to explain this more.

Dislikes:

I didn’t like how our main girl Scarlett (played by Perdita Weeks) seemed to have a degree in everything and can speak every langue (apart from one but she knows someone who can because of course she does). So when they come across any puzzle or problem in the Catacombs she finds the answer so quickly that there is never really an suspense when it comes to that because you know she will solve it in the end.

You didn’t get to know some of the characters very well so when someone does did or something happens you don’t really feel for them. I complete forgot about some of the people in this film because they is not much time exploring them.

All the action happens in the last 20 minutes. Its like the director though “there is not enough action quick though everything in at once”. There was to much in such a sort amount of time that it felt like a different film at some points.

The last thing I want to point out is that at one point our main girl Scarlett goes a part on her own but she takes her head set of so that the camera could see her. At some point I could help put think about the vlogger arm she must have running of her life.

Should you see it/ Score:

I think if you like a slow burn movie and your interested in the concept I would say see it but for people how like a more action packed film will not like this.

I give this film a 3.5 out of 5.

2nd October – The Void (2016) – 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Directed and written by Jeremy Gillespine and Steven Kostanski. The Void starts when a police officer takes a blood socked man to a understaffed and partly abandoned hospital. They all start to experience strange and violent occurrences the seem to have something to so with a group of mysterious hooded figures.

Likes:

The practical effects in this are amazing. They are gory and there cool. They remained me of something out of salient hill or residents evil. The creatures are disgusting but absolutely brilliant.

The action starts pretty quickly so theres no waiting around for the gory it pretty much happens start away. The risk is also laid out pretty quickly too so you really feel suspense and you feel for the characters.

The atmosphere to this film is really creepy so your drawn in. The set design really adds to the creepyness of the whole look. It looks actually the way it should to fit in to this world. The lighting also adds to the affect of the creepyness and can really add suspense to the whole place.

The story draws you into the mystery of whats happening and keeps you guessing and makes you so desperate to know whats happening and why.

Dislikes:

The story is so good up until the ending. Then its just confusing you are left not knowing whats happening and some of the plots and characters are never explain probably or sometimes not at all. It just leaves a lot of questions that aren’t going to get answered and thats really annoying. And thats something I just cant get over. There is never a conclusion and nothing is spelled out for the audience not even a little bit so I just got lost and I think a lot of people did too.

The characters never really get explored so when characters die and the others are feeling and showing this grift and great loss but we just don’t feel it and we just don’t care at all about them.

One minute the good guys and bad guys are about to shot each other of hack each other then literally in the next scene they are working together and are taking orders of each other and that left me very confused. Why would they be doing that ?

The hooded figures are very underused. They not really used at all and are just they to stand in the background which was a same because they did look creepy.

Should you see it?/ Score:

I would say if your going to see this movie stream it. It is not worth buying it. If you like creatures and special effects your going to like them in this but the over all story is confusing and nothing gets resolved so many people will be turned of by that.

I give this a 2 out of 5.

3rd October – Triangle (2009)- 1 hour 39 minutes

Directed and written by Christopher Smith, Triangle follows 6 passengers of a yachting trip in the Atlantic ocean who, when struck by mysterious weather conditions, jump on another ship only to experience greater havoc on the open seas.

Likes:

I really liked the premise of this film. Not knowing whats happening when they first board the boat. The mystery draws you in and keeps you guessing.

The lead actress Melissa George (who plays Jess) does a great job in selling us her characters and her struggle and fight to stay alive and get back to her son.

Dislikes:

The mystery of whats going on is soon gone and then your just following Jess around trying to get of the boat which gets pretty boring.

Spoiler: The kills in this aren’t really creative. They either get shot or cut. The only kill that any good is victors (played by Liam Hemsworth) its the only one thats different and made me cringe a bit.

The mystery of why the boats there or why it dose what it dose is never explained which is annoying. Why is it there? Dose this happen to other people or only the 6 people we see? These questions are never answered.

Spoiler: Once you have learnt what sort of character Jess actually is all good feelings for her are gone. We learn she has a son with a disability but she treats him so bad and we see her smacking him in the face for accidentally knocking over some paint. I instantly lose feeling for her and felt like she was a bitch. Even though she tries to make things better its just to late and I don’t care for her. I don’t feel sorry for her that she has to keep going though the day and the ship.

Should you see it?/ score

There are a lot of plot holes and some character directions that I don’t agree with. There was lots of promise but it just disappointed in the end so SKIP IT.

I give it a 1 out of 5

4th October – Funhouse Massacre (2015) 1 hour and 30 minutes

Directed by Andy Palmer and Written by Ben Begley Funhouse Massacre is about six of the worlds scariest psychopaths escape from a local asylum and proceed to unleash terror on the unsuspecting crow of a halloween funhouse.

Likes:

I love this film. Its a funny, gory, fun slasher film that I didn’t know I needed to see. The gory starts of right at the beginning so there is no waiting around for it to get started. The jokes in this land really well and multiple times I was laughing out load.

There is no lack of gory and kills in this is is a massacre. There are some really good, fun kills too. The psychopaths are really fun too my favourite by far is Dollface (played by Candice De Visser) who reminds by of a more sadistic Harley Quinn.

I think the setting is a really fun one. People think that these kills are all part of the haunted house act which is so a fun concept.

Dislikes:

I don’t have many dislikes for this film. The only one I really have is that a few of the psychopaths didn’t really get explored but and there just there for a few scenes. I would have liked to see them more and maybe even a showdown with each of the psychopaths a bit more because some get taken out pretty easily.

Should you see it?/Score

I think you should definitely see this film. Its funny and gory and its so much fun. So get on Netfilx and see this now!

I give this a 4 out of 5

So there we are all up to date. Tomorrow I will be reviewing Child’s play which you can find on Netflix. I will leave a link to my movie chart down below so you can see what movies I will be doing and you can watch along.

You can follow me on all my social media (links on the side). You can also follow the blog to get notified when I upload next. Leave a comment if you have seen any of these movies and what you though.

Thanks for reading and I will see you tomorrow for the next part of SHOCKTOBER!